Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Translated from Hindi, this phrase means “Clean India Mission” and it represents a massive campaign by India’s government to clean the country. The effort is sweeping, covering everything from roads and infrastructure to solid waste in more than 4,000 cities and towns. The goal is equally ambitious: Clean India by Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birthday. That is 2 October, 2019, which gives the country less than three years to significantly reduce roadside litter and solid waste.

Even with the help of three million government employees and students, grassroots efforts and behavioural changes are unlikely to be effective without reforming, improving – and in some cases, creating for the very first time – waste management and infrastructure supply chains. Successfully meeting the goal of a cleaner India will require action from the government on three key fronts: packaging research, policy integration and establishing a supply chain centre of excellence. [Full Story]